When we consider all aspects of Human nature, there are some we will find deficient as they are at odds with the nature of God. If we fail to discern and control these lesser aspects of ourselves, we are likely doomed to a self-destructive path without His help. Thankfully, we are also made in His image, and our Father invites all us children to have a relationship with Him and benefit from His support. Christians recognize this invitation and choose to grow this relationship in spite of our sinful tendencies. Since our carnal nature is opposed to God, we must make great efforts to build and maintain our relationship with Him. At the heart of every successful relationship is excellent communication, and our relationship with God is no different. Prayer is the way we can talk to our Heavenly Father and strengthen our bond with Him.

Contrary to our childhood musings, God is not some robed old man with long white hair, sitting on a celestial throne elsewhere in another dimension. He is our omnipresent creator and He hears our prayers wherever we are. When we appreciate the communication channel we have with God through prayer, one of the first things we should do is express our gratitude. God showers us with blessings regularly; we should pause to reflect on these and give thanks in prayer. Though it is good to give thanks for the obvious blessings in your life, it is quite rewarding to take time to recognize and express gratitude for those we often take for granted: the roof over our head, reliable plumbing in our homes, good health we nurture, and loved ones we cherish. If you feel that your gratitude for life’s simpler luxuries has been lacking, one habit to incorporate is saying grace before meals and treating it as a necessity not to be overlooked. When we consider all the blessings in our life and give thanks and praise to God, He smiles on us and our outlook on life improves.

Indeed, we have much to be grateful for, but life does come with its challenges. When communing with God, we can pray for help through these struggles. We might pray for strength, protection, or insight, among other things. In these times of stress, it is prudent to humble ourselves and admit we may be unfairly displeased with the way God answers our prayers, which is inevitably shown to be the best way. We must be both patient and vigilant, because God will not provide some audible response to our prayers; anyone who says otherwise is either lying or delusional. When we ask for something such as insight, we ask for guidance to the proper decision in spite of our deceitful heart. We should take on the mindset that our prayers are already answered, though maybe in God’s way, and in God’s time.

Unsurprisingly, just as we need help from God, others also seek God’s favor and they may ask you to pray for them. I once puzzled over the worth of praying for others given the practical redundancy of it. For example, if someone is sent 100 prayers to cure their ailment, are they more likely to receive healing from God than the person who only receives 10 prayers? I’m not sure. Perhaps praying for others can condition our minds to be more selfless and compassionate—a chief aspiration of the Christian walk. Hopefully, we experience a change in our hearts as well and begin to pray for others without being asked to.

Though we are striving for selflessness, we can occasionally indulge a little in the contrary. It is perfectly fine to ask God for things, but we should endeavor to align our wants with God’s wants for us. Ideally, what we ask for will glorify God; we request that which will make us shining examples for others, embodiments of His glory as he works wonders through our modest abilities, and servants whose works foreshadow the goodness of His coming kingdom. Perhaps most of all, we should place our faith in His wisdom and humbly ask these gifts be given to us only if He wills it.

Contrary to our ego driven opinions, we may lack knowledge of what is best for us, or what our faith and works merit. God may deem that our request is either undesirable for us, or that we lack the obedience and spiritual resolve to deserve such a blessing. In these moments, we must guard ourselves from frustration with God and instead examine our own shortcomings. God’s wisdom is infinite, and you should be careful what you insist on in prayer, because you might just get it. You may pray and pray and pray for something, but God seems reluctant to answer your prayer. It may be that you are asking for one thing, but God is holding out only to give you something much better. If you plead, God may grant your wish, but who is to say what He originally had planned for you was not greater? At the very least, this unassuming mentality is a healthy one to adopt when you think your prayers are being overlooked.

With countless ways to pray, this practice should easily permeate our lives. Forming a habit of prayer may be difficult, but no one said having a relationship with God would always be easy. Luckily, though it should not come to be expected, when we do see our prayers answered our faith will grow and our practice strengthen. Engaging in consistent prayer brings palpable improvement to my life; I experience a heightened connection with God and I am more content, grateful, optimistic, and spiritually strong.

There is one obvious challenge with prayer: it is difficult to pray and commune with someone you cannot see or hear. It is a literal act of faith. However, the beauty of prayer is that it moves our relationship with God from one of distance to one of intimacy. After all, how can we have a relationship with someone we never talk to? Still, effective communication in any relationship comes with time and we should refrain from letting initial challenges discourage our efforts. It takes work and we should expect the same in our relationship with God. As we embark on this journey, we should never demand things from God, or pose challenges to prove He is capable of providing these things. Nothing is impossible through God; our limited faith is the only obstacle.

I encourage you to start engaging with God on a personal level and watch your relationship with Him bloom.

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